The One That Got Away
by bonnie1175
Summary: December 24, 2015, 12:01 a.m. Happy Birthday, Dodger. Coming home for Christmas? - R It's the same message every year, delivered at 1 minute past midnight, without fail. Despite all the promises to keep in touch and visit, it's been 8 years since they've seen one another. This year changes that. Will life finally get out of the way and make room for love?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I feel that I should probably start out apologizing. I could find no reference to Jess' date of birth on the show, so I made him a Christmas baby. If I've missed the reference, please suspend that knowledge for a chapter or two and pretend that you don't know. I've also edited and proofread, but it's 2 a.m. and I can't be held accountable for my mistakes. I appreciate any feedback. ;-)**

 _December 24, 2015, 12:01 a.m._

 _Happy Birthday, Dodger. Coming home for Christmas? - R_

Jess clumsily reached for his phone, and squinted as his eyes struggled to adjust to the bright screen. The text message was the same every year, delivered at 1 minute past midnight, without fail. He chuckles at her reference to Stars Hollow as home. After spending the past 10 years in Philadelphia, she knew that he no longer thought of Stars Hollow as home, as if he ever had.

As much as it pained him to admit it, (and he never would admit it aloud to anyone, ever), he looked forward to her message. They had exchanged many texts and e-mails, even a sporadic phone call or two, in the eight years since Luke and Lorelai's wedding. Still, there was something special about her birthday text.

He typed out his typical response, _"Can't. Sorry. Maybe next year."_ He chuckled as he pressed the send button, anticipating her response.

 _"Fine! I guess if you won't come to Stars Hollow, I'll just have to come to Philadelphia. See you soon."_

Every year she made the same threat to visit him in Philadelphia, and every year he told her that she was welcome anytime. Despite the promises and good intentions, it had been eight long years since they had last seen one another.

He quietly sat his phone back down on the bedside table, and eased his head back down to rest on his pillow.

* * *

 **December 24, 2015, 5:32 a.m.**

After one last look around her small studio apartment, Rory shuts off the lights, grabs her suitcase and closes the door behind her. The airport shuttle she had reserved had arrived and now waits for her at the curb just outside of her building. _No turning back_ , she thinks as she watches the city wake up from the window of her speeding shuttle.

"Going home for Christmas, Miss?" The driver asks, breaking the silence.

"Not this year." She answers, confidently. They ride in silence until the lights of LaGuardia airport come into view.

The shuttle pulls up at the curb, and she grabs her bags, tips the driver and heads inside.

"Have a safe flight, Ma'am, and Merry Christmas." The driver calls from behind her.

 _A Merry Christmas, indeed_ , she hopes as she makes her way through security and finds a seat at her gate. Her flight is a short one, scheduled to last only a bit over an hour, but she still feels the butterflies fluttering around her stomach.

 _Get it together, Gilmore!_

She opened the front zipper of her carry on bag, and slid her hand inside, making sure that the stack of papers were still intact. Although there was no reason for them not to be, it gave her comfort to know that they were there, exactly where she had left them.

"Flight 2033, nonstop to Philadelphia is now boarding at Gate 12." The voice shouted over the loudspeaker. Her heart raced, as she stood in line to board the plane, knowing that she would soon be in the presence of the man that knew her better than anyone, the one that got away.

 **Note: I should also mention that I do not own these characters, but I love them as if they were my own.**


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to all who have reviewed, and followed this story. This is the first story that I've actually shared with anyone so your feedback means a lot to me! To date I have written, deleted and rewritten this chapter at least 4 times. I hope that this one actually makes it to publishing. Oh yeah, just so you understand, in this story Truncheon has outgrown their original space and have relocated. Jess is living alone in the old Truncheon space.

Chapter Two,  
 **December 24, 2015 7:34 a.m.**

As expected, Rory's flight was crowded but uneventful. Upon landing, she dodged through the crowds of last minute holiday travellers, making a mental note to herself to never travel the day before a major holiday again. She found her way to the rental counter, rented her car, and wasted no time finding a coffee shop near Jess' home, the former home of Truncheon Books.

Betraying her very nature, she orders a chamomile tea, in hopes of gaining control over her nerves. _It's just Jess_ , she reminds herself, which does nothing to calm her. Her bones actually ache for just a little bit of the confidence that she had had on the ride to the airport earlier that morning.

Sitting at the bar seat, gazing out the window at the rain soaked streets of the city that he now called home, she wondered if Jess was awake. She wondered how mad he would be if she woke him. She had been in such a hurry to see him that she booked the earliest flight possible, forgetting that Jess was not a morning person.

She sat, sipping the tea for at least an hour before she decided to make the short walk from the coffee shop to his front door. She stopped by her car, fed the parking meter, and grabbed her messenger bag from the front seat. The walk was less than a quarter mile. She could see the front stoop from outside the coffee shop, but it did nothing to hasten her walk. Gazing into the windows as she approached, she searched for any sign of life from within. There were no lights on, no noises emanating from inside, so she decided to sit on his stoop for a while before ringing the bell.

 **December 24, 2015, 9:34 a.m.**

The phone rang, waking him from yet another dream-less night of sleep. _Great! Here comes the obligatory birthday call from Liz._ He sits up in bed and buries his head in his hands before picking up on the last ring.

"Hello?" He answered, as if he didn't already know who was calling.

"Happy Birthday, my sweet boy." He shook his head, already knowing exactly how the conversation would go. "Do you have any big plans today? Spending time with anyone I should know about?"

"Nope." He found that it was easier to answer her in as few syllables as possible, knowing that it would not stop her probing line of questioning.

"I sure do wish that you could make it home for Christmas. You wouldn't believe what T.J. has done with the house." He winced, allowing his imagination to take over. "Doula misses her big brother. Oh, and speaking of big brothers, my big brother would love to see you too. He's so proud of you. We all are."

"You know how it is. I'm very busy."

"Promise me something? Promise me that you'll do something, even if it's something small, to celebrate today."

"I will." He promised, having no intention of getting out of bed, much less leaving the house. "Maybe I'll run the steps at the Museum of Art."

"Oh, good. I'm so glad you're taking such good care of yourself. Have fun, and be careful. I love you, Jess." His sarcasm was completely lost on his mother.

"Gotta go. Someone's at the door. Talk to you soon." He ended the call before she could say another word, and flopped back down in his bed. He laid there for another few minutes, wondering if anyone would miss him if he just slept the day away, when his phone buzzed notification of a new text message.

 _"Good morning. Are you awake?"_ He smiled, having hoped to hear from her again today.

"I am now." He typed, not wanting to show how happy he was to hear from her again. "Twice in one day? To what do I owe this honor?"

 _"I just wondered if you'd received the gift I sent you._ " Seconds after the message appeared on the screen, the doorbell rang.

"You shouldn't have. Hold on...Someone's at the door. Maybe your gift? Standby..."

"Be right there." He shouts as he jumps out of the bed, runs his fingers through his messy hair, and runs down the stairs.

"I'm coming." He yells as the doorbell chimes again.

He fumbles with the locks before pulling the door open. "Happy Birthday, Jess."

He stands there for a moment, absolutely speechless. "You're here? I mean, you're really here!"

"Well, you did say I could visit any time. I can go if it's not a good time." She teases.

"Don't you dare. Come in, get in here." He takes a step back, allowing her to slip past him through the door. "What are you doing here?"

"I got a new job. Professional front stoop stalker."

"Huh. Still got a sense of humor after all these years."

"Yeah. I love what you've done with the place." She makes her way into the center of the room, and turns to face him.

"It's been a while since you've seen it. You know that Truncheon moved, right? You got the postcard?" He asks, as he closes the gap between them.

"I did. Actually besides wanting to tell you Happy Birthday, I wanted to show you something."

She props her messenger bag up on the nearby counter, and pulls out a stack of papers secured with a large binder clip. She hands it to him.

"Curse the Stars...a novel by R. Gilmore." He reads the first page aloud, before thumbing through the rest of the pages. "Is this what I think it is? You wrote a book?"

"I'm not so sure about the title."

"You wrote a book? When did you have time? I mean, The Times keeps you pretty busy. I've seen your work."

"I've been working on it for a couple years, just writing when I have some downtime. You'd be surprised how much downtime you have when you don't really leave your apartment." She joked.

"Wish I could say I don't understand that." He answered, without looking away from the pages in his hand.

"Are you really going to read that now? With me standing right here? At least, let me leave before you..."

He sits the pages down on the counter and crosses to the center of the room, stopping about a foot away from her. "If you don't want me to read it while you're here, I won't. Don't leave. Don't even joke about leaving."

 **A/N - I feel like I could write another thousand words in this chapter, but I guess I have to cut it off somewhere. Hope I didn't lose you. I know it's much longer than Ch 1. If you like what you're reading, or if not, won't you take a second to leave some feedback. It will help to shape that becomes of this story. Thanks in advance!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: There's nothing worse than being able to see a scene in your head, and not being sure if you can properly translate it into words. I hope that I've been able to do that with this chapter. Please let me know what you think.**

Chapter Three

 _"Don't even joke about leaving._ " Rory smiled, noticing how the nervous fluttering in her stomach had disappeared completely.

"Still addicted to the almighty coffee bean?" He asked, as he opened his cabinet and pulled out a bag of coffee.

"It's not an addiction. I can stop whenever I want. I just don't want to." She was amazed at how easily they had fallen back into their natural rhythm.

"Right, and how about Lorelai? Has Luke forced her to quit yet?"

"No. That hasn't stopped him from trying though. But seriously, no one forces my mom to do something she doesn't want to do." She watched as he finished making the coffee, and grabbed the coffee cups from the cabinet.

"Speaking of Lorelai, how did you manage to get out of Christmas in Stars Hollow? And does Taylor know that he'll have to find someone else to play the Christmas angel?" He sat down at the small bistro table, across from her.

"Stop it." She laughed. "I only did that once. I don't get to visit as much as I'd like, work and all. She isn't happy about it, but she's okay with it."

"So, she has no idea that you're here."

"Not exactly, no." She confessed. "To be fair, I didn't even know that I was going to be here until very, very early this morning."

"Huh."

"What's that supposed to mean? You know I hate when you do that."

"So, this was completely spontaneous? That doesn't sound like you. Are you sure you didn't make a list of pros and cons?"

"No. I'd been dreading going home for the past couple weeks. The last time I was there was for my grandfather's funeral. I just don't want to be sad, sitting around that large table without him, trying to pretend that everything is fine when it isn't fine."

"I heard about your grandfather. I know how much you loved him. I'm sorry."

"Thank you. I think he would have liked you, even back then."

"Nice of you to say, but I don't think so." Jess nodded, knowing that there was no way that Richard Gilmore would have approved of him.

"Well, he loved me and I," She hesitated for a moment. "I liked you, so he would have liked you through association. So, Truncheon is doing really well?" She asked, changing the subject.

"It is. We outgrew this place, and you know I think this old house is kinda like my muse. I've written two books here. Seemed wrong to put it on the market."

"Are you happy, Jess?" Rory's expression changed as their conversation took a more serious tone.

"Well that's a loaded question, isn't it? Define happy." He deflected. "You?"

Moments passed, as Rory reflected on her own question. "I don't know. I just wanted so much more..." Her voice quivered ever so slightly, as she quickly wiped away the tears that brimmed her eyes. "I just remember wanting it all. Geez, we were kids, Jess. If I had known then..."

"I get it." He reached across the table and took her hand, watching the way that their fingers met, rather than making eye contact. "There's a reason I don't celebrate birthdays, you know. There's something about marking the passing of another year, and not being any closer to whatever it is you want. If you weren't here right now, I'd still be upstairs sleeping through it."

"It's so funny how people change. I mean, you could have exactly what it is that you think you've always wanted, everything right in front of you, but it means nothing." She rolls her eyes back to fight back the tears.

Jess understood all to well the empty feeling she was speaking of, but he didn't know how to respond. He knew she wasn't ready to hear his thoughts on the topic.

"Oh god, I didn't come here to do this. Not on your birthday. I'm sorry." She jumped up from the table and headed back towards the living room. It reminded him of the last time she visited Philadelphia.

He called after her, as he sprinted towards the door.

"I guess I've just been thinking a little too much about the past. The book..." She glanced over at it still sitting on the counter, as she paced from one end of the room to the other, arms flailing. "And it's your birthday, and I just show up. Who does that? I mean, I should have called. Maybe you don't want to hang around me all day." He remembered her rambling and how she found it difficult to stop once it started.

"It's been such a long time," She continued. "And we've hurt each other so much. I don't even deserve to be standing here with you. For all I know you might be seeing someone. Someone you'd rather be with." He stopped short of embracing her, grabbing her arms at the elbows and holding her there firmly.

"Rory, stop!" He took a deep breath and lowered his voice to nearly a whisper. "Stop." He felt her breathing return to normal, as he wrapped his arms around her. "There's no one else I'd rather be with."

The minutes passed, neither one wanting to be the one to pull away first. "This is a first for us." She pointed out. "Holding onto each other instead of running away."

For once in his life, he didn't have a witty comeback. He just held her tighter, clinging to her as if his very life depended upon holding onto this girl.


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: Thank you to all how have followed and reviewed. Your kind words continue to motivate me. I hope to continue to inspire your support.**

Chapter Four

"Jess, I can't breathe." Rory teased. She had felt the urgency in his embrace, and it both scared and thrilled her. It forced so many buried feelings to bubble back to the surface, some good and some bad, but none that she could deal with at this particular time.

"If I let you go, promise you won't make a break for it?"

"I couldn't if I wanted to. My legs have turned to jelly." He released her from his grip and held his hands up in surrender pose.

"This doesn't work if you don't let go too." Rory's arms were still wrapped around him, her hands exploring the muscles that didn't exist the last time they were this close.

She couldn't be sure, but she was fairly confident that the room was spinning. She reluctantly lowered her arms. "So, what do we do now?"

"Let's see. What do I really want to do?" He paused for a moment, just long enough to give her the wrong idea, before taking her hand and leading her to the couch.

"Jess, I don't..." She stammered nervously behind him, hoping that there was no outward sign to betray her racing heart. He had always had that effect on her, and he knew it.

"You're blushing, Gilmore. What did you think I was gonna do?" The shade of pink that had softly lit her cheeks now turned to a crimson red as she struggled to explain.

"I...We...That..Jess!..." He laughed, as he pulled up a chair to sit across from her.

"I've forgotten how much I love to watch you squirm." He grinned. "Now what do I want to do? There's so much, you know. I have a huge mental list of all of the places that I have wanted to see with you, but really it's up to you."

"It's your birthday. You pick."

"I want to be here with you. I want to talk. It's one of the things I've missed most about us. The way I see it, there's eight years worth of stuff that has went unspoken. Spare no detail. I want to know everything."

She couldn't remember the last time that they had had a good talk. Meaningful conversations were not something born from occasional e-mails and text messages.

She glanced down at her feet, as she searched her memories of the years trying to find something comfortable enough to share. "Oh, I know! Your hotdog stand moved."

"Drop the act, Rory," He implored. "There's something going on with you and it's not about our hot dog stand. Talk to me."

"I quit my job, Jess." The words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them. "I was having a really bad day and I don't know how to fix it."

She waited for his response, afraid of hearing the same disappointed tone she had heard when he confronted her about dating Logan and quitting Yale.

"Please, say something." She begged after more than a few minutes passed in silence. "Yell at me, tell me how stupid I am. Just say something."

"You're not stupid, Rory. You've come to the wrong person if that's what you're looking for." She was surprised by the calmness in his voice, after having braced herself for his wrath.

"I must be stupid. I quit the New York Times, Jess." She rolled her eyes back, successfully warding off the tears that had started to blur her vision.

"So? There are other jobs, and other cities, Rory. This isn't the end of the world." Once again, he surprised her. "That must have been one hell of a day. What happened?"

"Really it was more like a bad year. At first I thought it was losing my grandfather, but then it was the deadlines, the pressure, the expectations, the failed relationships. It was coming home to that damn empty apartment every night. I've been pining for Stars Hollow, Luke's pancakes, my mom and..." She cut herself off, not ready to admit aloud what she already knew in her heart.

"Taylor? Kirk? Finish your thought, woman. Don't leave me hanging here." He joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

"It's nothing. I guess I just needed to get away, change the scenery."

"Well, you're in luck. I happen to know a little something about pancakes. Don't move." She smiled, as he stood and walked into the kitchen.

A half hour passed before he emerged from the kitchen, a large plate of pancakes and cup of coffee in tow. In the meantime, Rory had curled herself into a ball and fallen asleep. He sat the plate down on the coffee table in front of her, and waited for the aroma of the coffee to wake her. When that failed, he picked up the manuscript she had given him, figuring that she wouldn't mind so much if he started reading it since she wasn't consciously there.

He turned to the first page and found himself staring at the dedication. It was simple, just two words, italicized. _"For Dodger"_. He braced himself and turned the page.

 **I must acknowledge the song that helped me finish this chapter. If you're looking for an insight into what I was going for, listen to "Somewhere Along the Way" by Dawes. The first verse of that song perfectly explains how Rory is feeling about life and her decision to quit her job.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Note: Judging by the lack of reviews for the last chapter, I take it I've left some of you puzzled about Rory quitting her job, and Jess' odd response. Don't worry, I have a plan for it. I know it seems that the story is moving very slowly, but after 8 years you have to build up to it. Things will start moving a little faster after Chapter 6, (I think).**

Chapter Five

Jess had only made it through about a quarter of the summary page of Rory's manuscript when she began to wake. "Must not have been pining too awful hard for Luke's pancakes." He teased.

"You're not Luke."

"True, but when someone makes you pancakes, and you fall asleep...Let's just say that my fragile ego is bruised." She wrapped her hands around the oversized coffee cup and cautiously took a sip.

"Okay, it's your turn now. I have a question for you." She drove her fork into the now cold mountain of pancakes as if planting a victory flag. "When I told you that I quit my job, I fully expected you to lose it, but you barely even flinched."

"That's not a question." He grinned.

"I know. Why didn't you? Like you did when I quit Yale and moved in with the grandparents?"

"Wow. You really want me to yell at you, don't you? I'm not going to do it. It wasn't right back then, and it isn't right now." He sat in silence for a moment, reflecting on that night. "I'm sure they'll be plenty of people back in Stars Hollow that will be glad to make you feel like a failure, Rory. I'm not going to be one of them."

She winced, thinking about having to tell her mom and Luke, not to mention the rest of the town, that she couldn't hack it in New York. "Maybe I should call Babette and let her spread the news around for me."

"You don't owe those people anything. Let them talk. They'll get over it." The calmness had all but disappeared from his voice, sounding more like the Jess that she remembered.

"You don't have a Christmas tree." She observed, as she glanced around the room, searching desperately for a way to change the subject.

"So? Do you have one in New York?" He answered, bitterly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"I'm not usually in New York for Christmas." She felt the nervousness creep back into her veins, making every move seem jumpy and awkward. "You avoided my question earlier. Are you happy, Jess? Tell me about you."

"There's not much to tell. I own a larger share of Truncheon, which only means that I work more than I used to. I write whenever I get the chance. I have a great place. Nothing else has changed since the last time you were here."

"You do have a great place," She noted, leading him to believe that she hadn't noticed how he had glossed over any of the personal details of his life. "Do you still have roommates? It's so big, so quiet. It would drive me crazy to live here alone."

She wasn't intentionally prying, just trying to imagine herself living in this grand brownstone instead of her small apartment. "My apartment in New York is smaller than the apartment that you shared with Luke." She added when he didn't answer.

"I used to have a dog, but that didn't work out. Can I get you some more coffee?" Without waiting for her response, he jumped up from his chair, grabbed her coffee cup and escaped into the kitchen.

"So, what happened with the dog?" She followed behind him, not waiting for an invitation.

Standing at the counter, with his back turned towards her, he sighed. "Do you want to get out of here?" He asked, head hanging and shoulders slouched.

"Jess, are you okay?" She asked, slowly closing the gap between them.

Concerned, she reached out to him, placing her hand atop his. "There's a great used book store just a couple blocks away." He flinched, at her touch, and turned to face her.

"So obviously, you're not okay."

"They have a huge room in the back dedicated to vinyl." She finally relented, feeling terrible for bringing up a sore subject.

"The last time you were like this, we had pizza." She recalled.

"Pizza, books and records, it is." He linked her arm in his. "Shall we?"

 **Cont'd Note: This one was a bit short. I honestly re-wrote the entire ending about 3 times. I hope that you're reading between the lines, and are figuring out a little of where I'm going with some of this stuff. It's hard to know because I already know where I'm going.**

 **As always, I'd love to hear what you're thinking. Thanks for reading, and happy, happy new year!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"You know, there are a lot of other books here. I'm sure you want to look around too. You don't have to stay here with me. I don't want to bore you." She had spent the past two hours browsing the shelves of one of the biggest used book stores she had ever seen. A large stack of books, which she intended to purchase, rested on the table behind them.

"Am I giving you a complex?" He grinned. "This is one of the first places I visited when I moved here, and it's been pretty high on the "Places to visit with Rory" list." He tapped the side of his head, referencing his mental list.

"You've kept this list for a long time, without knowing if you would ever see me again. Dare I bring it up, but the last time I was here didn't go so well." She continued browsing the shelves as they talked.

"I knew I would see you again. Took a little longer than I thought it would, but I knew you'd be back." He slipped a copy of "A Farewell to Arms" under a couple of the books on her stack.

"You sound so sure of yourself." She placed another book down on top of her "to purchase" pile. "And don't think I didn't notice you slip in that dreaded Hemingway book."

"And to think...he speaks so highly of you." He smiled.

"So I've heard." She turned to face her growing stack of books. "Maybe someday you'll share with me the good things he has said."

"Someday." He promised.

"I should stop." She grimaced. "I won't have room for these in my carry on, not to mention the closet that I call home."

"Let's not talk about that." He mumbled, as he picked up a book from the nearest shelf and began thumbing through it mindlessly.

"What? Going back to New York?" Rory fidgeted, not wanting to think about New York either.

"I don't need a running countdown clock in my head, reminding me in that however many hours, you'll be gone."

She had left New York so quickly that morning that she hadn't even thought about when she might go back.

He scooped up the stack of books. "Ready?" He asked, as he headed towards the registers.

"Jess, wait," She smirked. "I've changed my mind." He deposited the stack back on the table, and waited.

"Let's see, I've read every book here, and I've loved them all." She picked through the stack, compiling a new stack of rejected books, before picking out one book. "All of them, but one." She turned it around to show him the cover before taking the copy of "A Farewell to Arms" to the register.

* * *

"Is it always this warm in December?" The temperature was remarkably warm, despite the overcast skies.

"Never." He answered, as he scouted out an empty bench in Washington Square, the irony not lost on either of them. The park was full of people in t-shirts and shorts, enjoying a brief respite from the colder weather.

"Guess there's zero chance of snow." She sighed, suddenly missing her mother.

"We could have rain. Does that count?"

"I don't think so." She answered, resting her head on his shoulder. As if led by muscle memory, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and leaned into her.

"You know, this place used to house the majority of the city's publishing industry. Everything from Bibles to Farm Journals and text books." He said, softly.

"You've really fallen in love with Philadelphia, haven't you?"

"Well it is more than 20 miles south of Stars Hollow. What's not to love?" He answer sarcastically, as he twirled a strand of her hair between his fingers.

"You really hated Stars Hollow that much?"

"I didn't hate everything about it. I did move back there voluntarily, you know."

"I remember." She offered, thinking back to their first kiss at Sookie's wedding. Remembering the way that her heart jumped when she first noticed him at the edge of the pond, as if he had never left town. "When was the last time you went back?"

"The wedding." He answered, surprising her. "You?"

"Last Christmas." She sat up, and turned her body to face him. "Every Christmas actually, since I moved to New York, but just once a year, and never long enough for me to fully relax. Even still, I always hated going back to New York after Christmas."

"You didn't seem to mind it all that much when you visited."

"I was with you, and we were young. Everything was new back then." She paused. "You know, it's funny. I've always loved New York, until I moved there that is. It's a terrible place to be alone."

He nodded, silently acknowledging his understanding. "You mentioned failed relationships, so you must not have always been alone."

"I wasn't." She said, without offering further detail.

"So, what happened?"

She chuckled, thinking of how he so freely asked her about her past, all the while keeping his past a mystery. "Gee, I don't know. What happened with your dog, Jess?" She smiled, happy to shine the spotlight on him for a change.

"He was never mine." He paused, hoping that she wouldn't realize that he didn't completely answer the question.

"Go on." She encouraged.

"He belonged to Kate. That didn't work out either, but I'm sure Luke told you all about it."

She shook her head. "Luke hasn't really changed. He's always been a man of few words."

"And Lorelai? There's no way that she didn't..."

She stopped him before he could finish. "Nope. Which means that she doesn't know either, because there's no way that she could keep good gossip to herself."

"Huh." He raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"I swear she hasn't. So tell me about Kate." She pushed, pressing her hands into her lap.

"You know, we don't have to do this, Rory."

"Do what?" She smiled, innocently.

"Dredge up the past. There's so much more that I want to do, places I want to show you. Can we just leave the past alone?" He sounded desperate to do something else, anything else.

For a brief moment, the clouds parted just enough for the sun to peek through. She closed her eyes, and turned her face to bask in it's light.

"Okay," She said, reluctantly. "It is your day. What should we do next?"

He grabbed her hand, sending a shock straight up her arm, and pulled her up from the bench. "I know exactly what I want to do."

They walked in silence, their hands still laced together until they found themselves across the street from Independence Hall.

"I never took you for much of a history buff, Mariano." Rory laughed, surprised when he pulled her in the opposite direction.

"I'm not." He led her just a little further down the street, where a horse drawn carriage sat waiting for it's next passengers. The driver was dressed in period clothing, complete with powdered wig. "There was a time that I told Luke that the idea of a horse and carriage ride would cause eternal vomiting." He laughed at the memory. "What do you think?"

"No vomit, please." She nodded her approval, thinking back to the night of the Bracebridge Dinner. She had continued to deny her feelings for months afterwards, but in her mind that night was the first time she realized that there was more than a physical attraction between them.

"Are you just gonna stand there, Gilmore?" He reached out his hand to help her in the carriage. "I mean, you can if you want, but I'm pretty sure there's a no refund policy, and I can't ride around the city alone. There's a rule, 2 people to a carriage, no more no less."

She smiled and took his hand, climbing into the carriage seat.

Jess climbed in beside her, thankful that she didn't require him to run and jump in like he had done so many years before. Just as she had done in the park, she leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder.

"This is nice." She said, as she laced her fingers in his. "It just feels right, doesn't it?"

"It does." They continued in peaceful silence for the first half of the ride, until the silence was broken by the ringing of Rory's cell phone.

"It's Mom." She announced, her eyes wide as she contemplated whether or not she was ready to tell Lorelai everything, including where she was and most importantly, who she was with.

"Hi Mom." She answered, sheepishly.

"Rory, I need you to come home. I need you here, now."

"What's wrong?" The urgency in Lorelai's voice was not something she had heard since her grandfather had passed away. She raised her hand to her head, and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the worst.

"There's been an accident. It's Luke...They're not telling me anything. I can't do this, Rory. I can't...Please come home..."

"Mom, calm down. I can't understand you." She clapped her hand over her free ear, in an attempt to block out the sounds of the street around her.

"I need to call Jess! Do you know how to...Oh god, I've got to call Jess. He needs to..." She could picture her mom pacing around the waiting room of the emergency room, alone, freaking out and rightfully so.

"Calm down, Mom. Jess is here. We'll be there as soon as we can. Did you call Sookie?"

"Mrs. Danes?" She heard someone ask in the background.

"I have to go." The call ended abruptly, leaving Rory's head spinning.

"Luke's been in some sort of accident. We need to..." She fidgeted in the seat of the still moving carriage, tears brimming her eyes.

He leaned over the seat,tapped the driver on the shoulder, and explained that they had to cut the carriage ride short. He gripped Rory's hand, helping her down, both of them fearing the worst.

 **A/N - I've been sitting on this chapter for 3 days, trying to figure out if I really wanted to injure poor Luke. Your feedback will determine the future of the story. Please don't hate me.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

They had been driving for two hours when the update came in from the hospital. "It's Mom." Rory announced, her voice cracking.

"Put it on speaker." Jess mumbled, without taking his eyes away from the road.

"Hello?" She answered the phone, nervously.

"Hey, Rory. It's Sookie. Your mom asked me to call you. She's with Luke, but she wanted to make sure you knew that he's going to be okay."

"Sookie, what happened?"

"He was restocking the shelves in the store room at the diner. He must have fallen off the ladder and knocked himself out. Cesar found him. He's awake now, but he did break his arm, and he has a concussion. They're keeping him overnight to keep an eye on him."

Jess shook his head, being able to visualize the entire accident in his head. "Tell him we're on our way." Jess said, knowing how much Luke would hate all of the attention he was undoubtedly receiving.

"Who's that?" Sookie asked, not realizing that she was on the speakerphone.

"It's Jess, Sookie. We're riding back together. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Oh, that's right. You're mom said that since we know that Luke is going to be okay, maybe you should go to the house for the night. She's staying here, of course, but Luke will be resting and all..." Her voice trailed off.

"Ok, if she's sure that she won't need us."

"Everything is going to be fine," Sookie reassured her. "I'm so glad you're coming home. Don't leave without stopping by. We miss our little Godmother Rory."

"See you soon. Thanks for calling, Sookie."

Jess smirked. "Godmother Rory?"

"Yeah, what about it." She asked, defensively.

"Oh, nothing," He laughed. "I'm just picturing you with a wand and wings, that's all."

"I'm not a fairy godmother." She smiled and punched his arm, finally letting go of the stress she had been holding onto since leaving Philadelphia. "I'm so glad that Luke is okay."

"Me too. I wish we had known that 2 hours ago, but I'm glad he's okay." She reached over and took his hand, locking her fingers with his.

"I promise that Stars Hollow won't be as bad as what you're imagining." She assured him, squeezing his hand.

"Really? Short of getting rid of every single person that lives there, how exactly do you plan on fulfilling that promise?"

"Don't you worry, Mariano. I've got my ways. For starters, I'll have Kirk print a t-shirt that says Leave Jess Alone."

"Yeah, that'll work." He scoffed. "I'll never get a fair chance in that town. Nevermind that people change. I'll always be the guy that broke your heart over and over again." He stopped himself, pulling his hand away.

"I would change that if I could." She whispered beneath her breath.

"So would I." He admitted.

* * *

Jess pulled the car into the parking lot at the hospital and shut off the engine. He had heard Sookie relay Lorelai's request that they just go to the house, and that everything would be fine, but he had to see with his own eyes.

Not wanting to wake Rory, he quietly slid out of the car and closed the door. He quickly made his way inside, asked the front desk volunteer for the room number and made his way to Luke's room. Peering in the window of the closed door, he could make out Lorelai sleeping in the chair beside Luke's bed.

Despite his best efforts, she woke up as he pushed open the door. "Jess? What are..." She jumped up from the chair and met him halfway across the room. He looked over at the bed, seeing Luke lying there, hooked to an IV and monitors blinking out his vital signs.

Lorelai pointed to the hallway, and pushed him gently back towards the door. "He's going to be alright, Jess. Where's Rory?"

"She's in the car. She fell asleep a little while ago. I didn't want to wake her. Sookie said he has a concussion," His voice cracked. "Is it okay that he's sleeping? Aren't you supposed to keep him awake?"

"It's okay, Jess. He was coherent before he fell asleep. The doctor said he would be fine," She looked back into the dark room, as if trying to convince herself that he would truly be okay. "Look, there's not a whole lot that you can do here tonight. Why don't you take Rory back to the house. We'll see you tomorrow."

"Actually, I was thinking that maybe you should take Rory home. I'll stay here, and I'll call you if there's any change." Lorelai protested weakly, but he finally convinced her that sleeping in the chair all night was not a wise decision.

He walked her to the car, where Rory slept, and handed her the keys. "So, you're the reason that my daughter didn't come home for Christmas."

He shook his head. "I didn't have anything to do with it. She came to see me all on her own."

"Well anyway, thank you for bringing her home, Jess." She climbed into the car, and put the window down. "Call me if there's any change."

He nodded and watched as the tail lights of the car until they disappeared.

 **Note: Thanks for sticking with me. I appreciate the feedback. Honestly, your feedback is what keeps me going. Knowing that I'm not just writing this for my own enjoyment is exhilarating. Please keep the feedback and follows coming. Thanks!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews and welcome to the new story followers! I really enjoy hearing your thoughts about where things are going. Please keep it up. In any case, here's chapter 8. I had a lot of fun writing this one! I hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter 8

"Long time no see, nephew." Jess was surprised to see Luke wide awake when he re-entered the room.

"Well fall off more ladders, and maybe you'll see me more often." Jess made his way to Luke's bedside.

"I'll keep that in mind." Luke reached up with his good arm and patted Jess' arm. "Thank you for getting Lorelai out of here. She's been suffocating me all afternoon."

"Yeah and you enjoyed every second of it." He paused. "You were asleep. How did you..."

"Just had my eyes closed. I knew if she thought I was asleep, she might sleep a little herself."

"Of course. You two are cracked, you know that? You're perfect for each other."

"Well..." He answered, sheepishly. "You know, Lorelai mentioned that you and Rory were driving here together."

"Yeah, so?"

"So you picked her up in New York?"

"Shouldn't you be resting or something?" Luke smirked, having missed their rapid fire game of avoidance.

"I've been resting all day, and I'm fine." He growled, before changing the subject back to Rory. "She met you halfway?"

"Should you really be talking this much? Lorelai is really rubbing off on you."

"You went to see her, didn't you? You were already in New York?" Jess tried to remain composed, but Luke could tell that he was close to giving up the game.

"Wow! Do Miss Patty and Babette know about you?" Jess hopped up from the chair and paced around the room a bit before stopping in front of the large window overlooking the parking lot. "She came to see me."

"And?" Luke smiled, enjoying his victory.

"And what? I woke up this morning and she was on my doorstep."

"So, how long have you two been back together?" Luke pushed himself up in the bed, wincing from the pain of his aching muscles.

"Whoa, slow down. No one said anything about that." Jess turned away from the window and paced back towards the bed.

"So, she came to see you?"

"Yes." He held Luke's gaze.

"And you were happy to see her?"

"Yes."

"Good." Luke nodded, a prideful grin lighting his face. "Don't screw it up this time, Jess."

"There's nothing to screw up. There's nothing going on. My god, it's been a long time since I've even thought about her like that." Exasperated, Jess threw his arms in the air and started pacing again.

"Right." Luke responded, sarcastically. " _This is Rory_ _we're talking about._ "

"And it hasn't been that long since...you know." He stopped and glanced over at Luke, willing him to understand.

Luke nodded. "It's been a year, Jess."

"It's not something you get over overnight."

"I'm sure Kate has moved on." Luke waited, hoping that hearing the truth didn't trigger Jess' defenses.

"Not to mention this is the first time I've seen Rory since you're wedding," Jess continued, ignoring Luke's last comment. "Eight years is a long time."

"You know, that's how long it took me and Lorelai to figure all of this out."

"We're not you and Lorelai."

"You're right. You win. You're absolutely nothing like us." Luke nodded, sarcastically.

"So, what's gonna happen with the diner while you're like this?" Jess circled his outstretched hand over Luke's plastered arm.

"I haven't given it much thought. Can't let Lorelai anywhere near it. I'll be hearing cutesy food names for months. I'll probably just close until the new year."

"You can't close up shop, Uncle Luke." He mocked. "Where will Kirk get his artificial sweetner?"

"Very funny. I guess I could call Liz and T.J. They do owe me. Lord help me. I never thought I would have to resort to relying on T.J."

"Now that's funny. Look, don't worry about it. I'll just stick around for a little while, make sure that everyone is served with the same ol' disgruntled smile."

"Seriously? I'm not an invalid. You don't have to do that."

"Just tell me that you have internet service in this god forsaken town."

"Yeah, and we just got color television last week, smart guy."

"I don't have to be home in order to do my job. I'll keep the diner running and do some editing at night."

"Jess..."

"It's done. Might as well give up. You're not gonna win this one."

"When have I ever won an arguement with you?" Luke resigned.

"Exactly. Now go to sleep." Jess leaned back in the chair and threw his legs up on the side of Luke's bed.

"Happy Birthday, by the way. I would have called, but...well you know."

"Thanks." Jess mumbled, already half asleep.

* * *

Lorelai pulled the car up to the house, and glanced at her sleeping daughter in the passenger seat. She reached over and gently nudged her arm until Rory woke.

"Where's Jess?" She asked, startled.

"Gee, could I maybe get a "Hey Mom" before you ask about Jess?"

"Hey Mom. Where's Jess?"

"He kicked me out. He's staying with Luke tonight." Lorelai opened the car door and hopped out.

"That's nice of him." Rory said the words, but she didn't feel them. She wasn't ready to spend alone time with her mom, and Jess knew it.

Lorelai had always had a special talent for getting Rory to talk about things, even when she didn't want to, and she wasn't ready to start talking about the mess that was her life.

"I guess we should get inside before Babette notices we're home."

"Yep." Rory got out and met her mother in front of the car.

"So you went to see Jess for Christmas?" Lorelai wrapped an arm around Rory, and the two walked to the front steps arm in arm.

"No, I went to see him for his birthday."

"Oh crap. That's right. So how long has this been going on?"

"Can we at least get inside before you interrogate me?"

"Lorelai!" Babette shouted, as she swung open her front door.

"Run." Lorelai whispered to Rory, who smiled and waved at Babette as she continued up the steps.

Rory grabbed the turtle and freed the spare key from it's hiding place. It felt strange using the spare key for the house she had grown up in. Once inside, she looked around, finding nearly everything exactly as she remembered it.

She walked through the kitchen into her childhood bedroom. Everywhere she looked, she came face to face with framed photographs of the self-assured girl she used to be, smiling unaware that her lifelong winning streak would someday come to an end and her future would be nothing like she dreamed.

"Rory?"

"In here!" Rory shouted back. "What's with the Rory shrine?" She asked as Lorelai joined her.

"It's your room. Always will be." Lorelai looked around with pride.

"Yeah, but where will I sleep?" She waved her arms over the pile of sporting equipment, fishing poles and books that now covered her bed.

"Luke has a lot of stuff, and he had no place to put it."

"I guess I could stay with Lane and Zach." Rory reached in her pocket and pulled out her phone.

"That's crazy talk. You'll stay here. Luke's not coming home tonight. You can sleep in our room."

"No offense, but that would be a little weird for me."

Lorelai pressed her hands to her chest, feigning a heart attack. "I'm crushed. Heartbroken. My baby is too good to share a room with her momma."

"The couch will be fine."

"You know, we would have had this cleaned up if we had known you were coming."

"I would have been here if I had known that Luke was going to take a flying leap."

"I'm glad you're here. I'm sorry I kinda freaked out on the phone. I was scared."

"I know." Lorelai wrapped her arms around Rory and pulled her close.

"I never thought I would say this, but I understand now how my mother must have felt when she came to the hospital after Dad's heart attack."

"It's funny how that happens."

"Yeah, isn't it?" Not wanting to think of any other ways that she was becoming her mother, Lorelai quickly changed the subject. "So, Jess?"

Rory braced herself. "What about him?"

"You went to see him instead of coming home to Mommy?"

"I'm sorry?"

"No, don't be sorry. I just don't understand. I didn't know that you and Jess were still...close."

"We're friends. I know you'll never believe it, but Jess is a good friend."

"You're right. I don't believe it. The two of you have never been able to stop at just friends."

"Well that's all we are. We haven't even seen each other since your wedding. A lot has happened since then."

Lorelai recognized the look of denial on Rory's face, having seen it many times after her daughter returned from Washington. Not wanting an argument on their first night together, she quickly changed the subject. "So, tell me about the fabulous New York."

"There's a lot of lights and basically no one sleeps there, which means I'm really tired. Would you be mad if we just went to sleep?"

"No, that's fine." Lorelai grabbed Rory's hand as she walked past her to the kitchen. "Get some rest. Love you."

"Love you too." Rory called after her, as Lorelai climbed the stairs to her room.


	9. Chapter 9

**Note: Thank you all for your reviews and follows. This chapter is for Nancy. Ask and you shall receive. Thanks for reading!**

Chapter Nine

 _Awake? Need coffee?_

The text woke Jess from a not-so-sound sleep. The whole night had him wishing that he had driven straight to the house instead of stopping to relieve Lorelai of her bedside vigil.

He quickly typed back. _Yes and YES_

He quietly stood up, smoothed the wrinkles from his shirt and slipped out the door. The phone buzzed again with Rory's response.

 _Meet me in the waiting room._

She was already there when he turned the corner, sitting on a pink plastic couch flipping through the channels on the tv.

"How long have you been here?" He asked, as he pushed open the door.

"I couldn't sleep." Her gaze lowered, as she handed him a cup. "Too many things on my mind."

"Talk." He ordered, as he sat down beside her.

"I just have a lot to figure out." She sipped her coffee. "I had thought that coming back here would make things clearer, but not so much."

"Well, you've only been here for 7 hours. Give it time."

"I'm going back to New York tomorrow." She bit her lip, bracing herself.

"I asked you not to tell me." He said, feeling as if someone had sucked all of the air out of the room.

"I thought that we threw that rule out the window when we crossed the state line."

"Why do you have to go back so soon?" Now faced with her imminent departure, he found Luke's advice playing desperately on a loop inside of his head.

"Well, everything is under control here. Luke's going to be okay, and I only rented the car for a couple days." She said, apologetically. "And there's loose ends in New York. I need to figure out..."

"I told Luke that I would stay to take care of the diner." He turned to face the tv, which was showing some mindless infomercial.

"I know that Luke appreciates that. My mom will too."

"So you're going back to New York, and I'll see you again, in what? Another ten years."

"Why are you upset with me? Did I say something wrong?"

"I don't know. I haven't slept, and I asked you not to tell me."

"I'm sorry?"

"Don't be." He leaned over, elbows braced on his knees and his palms pressed into his forehead. "I just wish that I had known that you weren't going to stay once we got here."

"You told me not to tell you."

"I don't want to be here, Rory. Not without you." His confession surprised her. "This place is almost tolerable, because of you."

She wrapped an arm around his shoulder, and placed her free hand of his knee. "You need sleep. I'm such a jerk, going on and on about my problems. Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Nope."

"I'll take you back to the apartment, if you want. The diner is closed today and the town should be quiet. You'll be able to rest. With all of these doctors and nurses around, Luke will be fine until Mom gets here."

He nodded in agreement, and stood up, catching her hand in his as he stood. "Let's go tell him we're leaving." He pulled Rory up and they walked back down the hall.

As they approached Luke's room, they could hear him arguing with the nurse who came in to take his vital signs. "You've woken me up every ten minutes all night long. I'm fine! Write that in your chart." They stood just outside the door and waited for the nurse to leave.

"Looks like you're feeling like your old self again." Rory laughed, peeking her head around the door frame.

"Rory!" Luke practically yelled out when he saw her. "I'm so glad you're here. Thanks for getting this one back here."

"It's good to see you, Luke." Rory walked to the bed and picked up Luke's hand, covering it with her own. "Speaking of this one, would you mind if I borrowed him for a little while?"

Luke shot Jess a glance, and then smiled at Rory. "Be my guest. He's all yours."

"Thanks, Luke. I'm glad you're okay. Mom will be here, as soon as she wakes up, I promise." She leaned over carefully, avoiding his broken arm, and kissed his stubbly cheek. "We'll see you later, back at the house."

"Yep, see you later."

Turning to Jess, she tugged at his sleeve and pulled him towards the door. "Alright Mister, you heard the man. You're all mine."

"Merry Christmas, Jess." Luke shouted, as he watched the two of them escape the room and disappear down the hall.

* * *

Rory parked the rental car behind Luke's truck, along the curb outside of the diner. It hadn't taken Jess long to fall asleep on their 30 minute ride from Hartford.

She gently nudged his arm until he slowly opened his eyes. "We're here." She whispered. "All you have to do is unlock the door, walk up the stairs, and you can go back to sleep."

"Thanks." He mumbled, remaining in his seat.

Rory hopped out of the car and worked her way around to the passenger side door. She opened his door and held out her hand to Jess. "You have to get out, Jess."

Jess took the hand she offered, and dropped it only to reach over the door frame for the key. Rory watched as he fumbled with the lock, nervously. Finally opening the door, Jess turned to her. "You want to come up?"

"No, you need to sleep."

"I don't want you to leave, Rory." He moved closer to her, quickly closing the gap between them.

"I know." She whispers, lowering her gaze. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"I _really_ don't want you to leave." He lifted his hand to her cheek and with a finger at her chin, raised her to meet his gaze.

Rory closed her eyes, anticipating his next move. He kissed her softly at first, gently nipping at her lips.

"What was that for?" She smiled, resting her forehead against his.

"Just wanted to see if it still worked."

"Oh, it does. It sure does." This time Rory took the lead, kissing him until she was breathless and a little dizzy.

She wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Sure you don't want to come in." He spoke softly, stroking her hair.

"I don't think that would be such a good idea at the moment." She quickly kissed him again, on the cheek this time. "Get some sleep, and call me later."

 **Note cont'd: Not to jinx myself, but mother nature has decided to dump 3 feet of snow on us this weekend. What else to do but write? Expect Chapter 10 soon.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Note: I know I say it at the beginning of every chapter, but seriously, thank you for reading, reviewing and following this story. It means so much to hear what you're thinking about the story so far, and I love hearing what you want to see happen! In fact, I'm in need of some advice. After the chapter, I have some questions. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts.**

Chapter Ten

"Mom?" Rory shouted, as she closed the door behind her.

"Kitchen." Lorelai stood at the kitchen counter waiting for the toaster to pop. "Pop-tart?"

"Yes, please."

"You were up early this morning."

"I couldn't sleep. That couch is really, really bad."

"I'll have your bed cleared off this afternoon." Lorelai grabbed the pastries, and joined Rory at the table. "Where did you go this morning?"

"I went to the hospital." Lorelai smiled and nodded, causing Rory to clarify. "To see Luke."

" _Really?_ How is my husband?"

"Fine. He was yelling at the nurses for checking his blood pressure."

"And how was Jess?" She asked in her sing songy prying voice.

"Exhausted. I drove him to the apartment to get some sleep."

"That was nice of you. So, do you want to tell your mother what's going on with the two of you?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know what's going on or you don't know if you want to tell me?"

"Both." Rory smirked.

"Well, you obviously lied to me about being too busy at work to come home for Christmas."

"I'm sorry. I just had some things that I needed to work through before I came back home."

"And visiting Jess helped?"

"Yeah, seeing Jess helped a lot."

"Do you still have feelings for him?" Lorelai pushed, realizing that Rory wouldn't divulge more than she was asked.

Rory smiled, thinking back to that morning on the steps of the diner. "Maybe. I don't know."

"I knew it! Warning Will Robinson, you are now leaving the friend zone."

Rory rolled her eyes. "Can we be serious for a moment?"

"Serious, like you and Jess?" Lorelai pursed her lips and made kissy noises.

"Mom!" Rory chastised. "I need to tell you something."

"Sorry. I'll be good. Go ahead."

Rory straightened in her seat and tugged at the sleeve of her sweater nervously. "I'm leaving New York. I'm not happy there, and I really think..."

"Is this about Jess?" Lorelai interrupted. "Are you leaving New York _for Jess?"_

"No! This has nothing to do with him. It's just not working out for me. I need to figure out exactly what I want, but right now New York isn't on that list."

"Oh hon, you're just overwhelmed. You need to take some time off, recharge your batteries."

"Taking time off to recharge isn't going to fix it. I've already turned in my notice at the Times."

Moments passed as they sat in silence.

"Say something. Please." Rory begged.

"I don't know what to say, Rory. I hate for you to throw away your dream like this."

"It's not my dream anymore, Mom. It hasn't been for a while now."

Lorelai reached across the table and rested her hand atop Rory's. "I want you to be happy, kiddo, and I know I can't make your decisions for you. If you feel like this is what's best for you, then I trust you."

"Thanks, Mom."

"So if you're not going to be in New York, where will you be? And don't say your grandmother's pool house."

"Very funny. I was thinking about moving back to Stars Hollow, at least for a little while."

"Best Christmas Present Ever! Now let's go bring my husband home."

* * *

(3 1/2 hours later)

"You know why they're doing this right? If I'm here after 12 o'clock they can charge me for another day." Luke paced the length of his room, his good arm flailing around wildly.

"Calm down, hon. It won't be much longer. The nurse said they were going to get your discharge paperwork ready."

"2 hours ago! How long does it take to get a damn doctor to write his name on a piece of paper?"

"It could be _her_ name." Rory pointed out.

"What?" Luke continued his pacing, pausing only to shoot a confused glance at Rory.

"Never mind." Rory chuckled in response to the slashing motion Lorelai made behind Luke. "Why don't I go see what's taking so long?"

Rory walked down the nearly deserted hallway to the empty nurses station. "Hello?"

"I'll be right there." She heard the nurse call from a nearby room. While she waited, Rory fiddled with her phone, wondering if she was receiving a signal at all. She vaguely remembered someone saying that the hospital equipment can interfere with the signal, or the concrete and steel, or something.

"Can I help you?" The nurse asked from behind the counter.

"I was wondering how much longer it would be for Luke Danes' discharge?"

"I have his paperwork right here. I'll be in as soon as I can. He is quite the impatient one, isn't he?"

"He is." Rory smiled, once again glancing at her phone. "Thank you." She walked back to Luke's room, finding him now sitting on the side of the bed, Lorelai's arm wrapped around him. She stood and watched them, unnoticed for a few minutes. Seeing them together like this never got old, and it reaffirmed Rory's belief in fate.

"The nurse said she'd be in as soon as she could." Rory announced, from the doorway.

"Thanks for checking, Rory. Come on in. There's plenty of room." Lorelai patted the spot next to her on the bed.

"Actually, if it's okay with both of you, I think I might drive around a little bit. Clear my head a little."

"Fine by me." Luke answered quickly, shooting Rory an all knowing smile.

* * *

The drive back to Stars Hollow did nothing to clear Rory's head. She found herself sitting in the rental car, behind Luke's truck, hoping that Jess had replaced the key above the door before he went inside.

She hopped out of the car and made her way to the door, happily finding that Jess hadn't locked the door at all before going upstairs.

It had been a while since she had been in the tiny apartment. After Jess left town, she had no reason to be upstairs. From the hallway, she could hear his music blaring from inside. She pushed the door open a bit and called out.

"Jess?" She paused for a minute, waiting for the response that never came. She pushed the door open the rest of the way and stepped inside, finding him sound asleep on the couch.

She pulled up a chair from the kitchen table and watched him sleep, so tempted to wake him. She had so many questions, so many things she wanted to say, but she had encouraged him to rest. Finally the temptation became too much and she found herself sitting on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"Wakey wakey, chocolate cakey." She whispered.

Jess smiled, his eyes still closed. "You just couldn't stay away, could you?"

 **Note, cont'd: I've been trying to figure out where I want to go, and I would pose these questions to those following and reading this story. Do you want Jess and Rory to revisit the 8 years of failed relationships as they catch up? Do you think that Rory should push for the Kate backstory, and should Jess ask Rory about those failed New York relationships? Let me know what you think.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Note: Thank you to those who answered the questions from my previous chapter. I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts, and hope you will continue to offer them! Without further ado...**

Chapter Eleven

Jess stretched out, as much as the short couch would allow. "Did I hear you say something about chocolate cake?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Rory answered, sheepishly.

"I'm sure that Luke has something downstairs." Jess sat up and took Rory's hands in his, lacing their fingers together.

"Hi." She smiled, holding his gaze.

"Hey." Jess leaned in towards her and left a lingering kiss on her cheek.

"How long was I asleep?"

"I hope long enough. Can't have you sleep through our las..."

Jess interrupted before she could finish. "Don't say it."

"Not saying it isn't going to change things. I have to go back to New York. I have to pack and talk to my landlord, but I won't be gone for long."

He dropped her hands and walked to the kitchen, massaging the back of his neck.

"How long?"

"A couple weeks, maybe a month?"

"What if I came to help you?"

"You're needed here, Jess. I can take care of things in New York." She met his pace in the middle of the room, smiling when she realized the significance of that spot.

"I feel like Luke is gonna come barging in, looking for his pocket knife, or checkbook, or whatever he left up here on purpose so he would have an excuse to check on us."

"If he were to barge in right now, would you run away like you did then?" He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

"Probably." She looked towards the door, as if just talking about Luke would bring him bursting in. "Not that I'm not enjoying this, but what are we doing?"

"Making up for lost time?" His lips trailed a line of kisses from her cheek to her neck.

"That's just it. There's been a lot of lost time. Don't you think we should slow down a little bit? Get to know each other again."

"Sshhh." He hissed, against her skin."I know you, Rory. I've always known you."

"I want to know about Kate." The words fell from her mouth before she had had a chance to think about it.

He took at step away from her, stunned by the abruptness of the request.

"What good will that do? Why dredge up the past?"

"Because I want to know that she really is the past."

"What about you? You said that you had many failed relationships in New York. Can you honestly say that you want to sit here all afternoon and talk about your old boyfriends."

"I didn't say many. There were a couple, yes, but not many. If you want to know about them, I'll sit here all day and talk about it."

"Fine, what do you want to know?" He pulled a chair away from the table, and waved his arm inviting her to join him.

"How long has it been over?"

"A year." He answered, offering no further details.

"How long were you together?"

"Two years."

"Wow. What happened?"

"She wanted more and she made me want it too. I proposed, she said yes, and then she got a job offer in Arizona. She chose her work, and I chose Philadelphia. End of story."

"How is it that I never knew about her? You never mentioned her in any of your texts."

"You never told me about anyone you were seeing either."

She thought about it for a moment, realizing of course that he was right. "It wasn't intentional. I just didn't think you'd want to know."

"I would have been happy for you, as long as you were happy." A sadness clouded Jess' eyes. "I always hoped that you were."

"That's it. I wasn't, and I didn't even realize it at the time." Rory fidgeted, chipping at the remnants of a long forgotten manicure . "I guess that's why I'm here."

"It's your turn now, Gilmore. Spill."

"I was just like my mother." She shook her head at the realization. "There were a few dates, but when things started getting serious, I would usually be the one to bail. It just always felt like I was looking for something that just didn't exist in New York."

"You're not getting off that easy. I told you about Kate. You don't get to talk in generalities. Didn't you see anyone there that could have been the one?"

"Curtis Keplinger."

"Go on."

"He was a writer at the Times. He still is, actually. We dated for 11 months. He kinda reminded me of Logan without all the drinking, and I thought at the time that was what I was looking for at the time." Jess flinched with the mention of his name.

"That couldn't have ended well."

"It didn't. He cheated on me, just like Logan did. The worst part was that I still wanted to be with him, and I still had to see him every day. But it got easier as time passed, and then he transferred to another department. He eventually married _her_ , and that was that."

"I'm sorry." He reached out and covered her hands, stopping her from fidgeting. "You deserve better than that."

"You too." She took a deep breath and rolled her eyes towards the ceiling. "I can't believe that it was my idea to do this."

"But we're here now, you and me. A little older, hopefully a lot wiser," He lifted her fingers to his lips. "This is what I want, actually what I've always wanted. And I'm all in, if it's what you want."

She thought back to the night in her room at Yale, when he begged her to run away with him. She remembered how hard she fought against her heart to tell him no, and chuckled thinking about how easy it was now in contrast to just say yes.

"It's what I want." She nodded. "I want to be with you. I don't know how or where, but we will make this work, Jess. We will."

"Ok." Jess tried his best to hold back his smile, but inside he felt like professing his undying love from the gazebo in the town square. "We'll make it work. Failure is not an option, not this time."

 **Note cont'd: These past 4 days, snowed in with nothing else to do, have been really great. I'm crossing my fingers for another day off so that I can write Chapter Twelve.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Note: Welcome to the new story followers, and thank you to all of you that have reviewed. It's been longer than normal since I've updated, and I feel I must warn you that I'm not a fan of this chapter. Please forgive any typos. I knew that if I spent any more time with this one, editing and proofing, that I would probably scrap it altogether. Oh well, I did label this one Romance/Angst. Hope you stick with me and the story after the next few chapters.**

Chapter Twelve

"Does your Mom know that you're leaving tomorrow?" Jess asked, having made peace with the idea of Rory leaving. They slowly climbed the steps to the front porch, pausing just in front of the door.

"No, but I did tell her that I'm leaving New York."

"How did that go?"

"Not as bad as I thought it would. Sometimes I forget that I am an adult, and that I capable of making my own decisions without fearing judgment. I'm just lucky that she realizes it."

"Speaking of making decisions without fearing judgment, what do we tell them about us?"

"Believe me, we won't have to tell them. Lorelai Gilmore has a sixth sense when it comes to you and me."

"Luke too. You know, he gave me a lecture at the hospital about not screwing up this time, like I'm 17 again. I'm not going to, by the way, just in case you were wondering."

"I know." She leaned over and kissed his stubbly cheek. "You do realize that they're probably inside watching us, right?"

"If they're not, Babette surely is. She probably thinks I'm gonna kidnap one of her gnomes, again."

"Don't do that. That's not who you are, and everyone knows it now. Luke, being the proud uncle that he is, has told anyone that would listen. They all know that you're not who they always believed you to be."

"Because of you." He snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"We have to go in, Jess." Rory said, finding it difficult to maintain her composure.

"I guess we do, don't we?" He lifted his hand to brace her neck, slowly drawing her to him until their lips met.

"Whoa! Guess we still need that code word!" Lorelai yelled, shielding her eyes as she swung open the door.

"Somethings never change." Jess muttered, only loud enough for Rory to hear.

Rory playfully slapped his arm and glided towards the door. "I'm so glad you're home, Luke." She walked past both Lorelai and Luke. Luke turned and followed her inside.

Lorelai inched out onto the porch, closing the door behind her. "Thank you, Jess for staying with Luke last night. I know he thought it was silly, but I felt better knowing that he wasn't alone."

"That's what family does. You don't need to thank me."

"But I do, and I have to apologize to you too, because what I'm about to say makes me feel like my mother. I know you've turned things around for yourself. I know that you're not the same kid that stole a beer from my fridge and disrespected me in my own house."

"I was hoping that you had forgotten about that." He joked nervously.

"My point is that Rory is really messed up right now. She's walking away from everything that she's ever wanted." Lorelai rambled. "And I know that she's an adult and that I have absolutely no say over what she does with her life, but she's my baby, Jess. She always will be, and I can't stand to see her get her heart stomped on again."

Jess stood completely still, his eyes fixed firmly on the floorboards of the porch. "We should probably go inside."

He slid across the porch, held the door open for Lorelai.

"Luke?" She yelled out from the foyer.

"In here." Luke shouted back from the kitchen. Lorelai made her way to the kitchen, while Jess wandered through the living room, pausing to look at the photographs of young Rory on the mantle.

"Jess?" Rory walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around him.

"Hey." He picked up a framed photograph of a costumed Rory from the 3rd grade. "What is this?"

"Oh, I couldn't decide between being a turtle or a bird for Halloween, so Mom made me a turtle bird costume. It was the most original costume."

"I can see why." He placed the frame back on the mantle.

"It was cute."

"Uh huh."

"I'm sure you never had an embarrasing Halloween costume."

"Never." He smirked. "Hey, your mom just gave me the don't hurt my kid speech outside."

"Oh god, really? What did you say?"

"Nothing. What could I say? As much as I had hoped that things would be different between us, she doesn't trust me. Can't say I blame her."

"I-I don't know what to say. I'm sorry. I had no idea."

"I know and it's okay. I just don't think that me being here is such a good idea. At least for now."

"If you leave, you'll be proving her right, and I don't think I could take that. Stay, please."

He thought about it for a moment, and wrapped his arms around her. "For you." He whispered, knuzzling into the soft curls that framed her face.

"Now, come on!" She grabbed his hand, and pulled him into the kitchen.

Rory and Lorelai spent the rest of the day running through their Christmas traditions, M&M flavored cereal, "baking" cookies, decorating those cookies and drinking peppermint coffee.

Jess and Luke cleared the house, allowing Lorelai and Rory their mother/daughter time. "So, you and Rory, huh?"

"Yeah. You can spare me the talk though. Lorelai already got to me." Jess leaned against the rail of the front porch.

"She told me. Sorry about that. She kinda had a freak out moment seeing the two of you out here this morning." Luke sat down on the long forgotten porch swing.

"I'm not going to hurt her again. My god, when I look back at how I treated her before...If I could go back and kick my own ass, I would."

"You were kids, Jess. I wouldn't spend too much time worrying about it, and don't worry about Lorelai."

"I don't think Rory has told Lorelai yet, but she's going back to New York tomorrow."

"So soon? Where does that leave things for the two of you?"

"I don't know. We'll figure it out. We owe each other that much."

"You know, you don't have to stay here and take care of the diner. Cesar can handle things, and I can still take orders. Not that I'm trying to get rid of you, but that would give you time. You could go with her."

"I'll think about it." Jess fidgeted. "Man, I don't know how you do it here. It's so quiet. I know you've always kinda been into the quiet and all, but this place is just a little too Waltons-esque for me. I'm gonna get out of here for a little while."

Jess walked down the stairs and set off on foot down the drive. He turned, just before disappearing around the corner. "Tell Rory I'll talk to her later."


	13. Chapter 13

**Note of appreciation: Thank you to all who continue to inspire me with their reviews. Thank you most of all the reader going by the name SolemnlySwearToManageMischief. Your review just invigorated me. I thank you so much for opening my eyes to what I was doing, because I really and truly had no idea that I was writing this story the way you said. I needed to see that because otherwise it would have dragged along and things would never get to where I want them to be. This chapter takes a really big leap towards where things are going, so I ask that you brace yourself for a little angst. It will be worth it, trust me.**

 **Please keep the reviews coming. You never know when you might be the one to show me something that I hadn't seen. Don't be shy. Speak up and as always, thanks for reading.**

Chapter Thirteen

"He just left?" Rory asked, as she listened to his cell phone ring on the other end of the line. "He's not answering his phone."

"You know Jess, Hon. This is what he does." Rory rolled her eyes, knowing that Lorelai was only trying to help. Unfortunately Lorelai had chosen the wrong words.

"There's nothing to worry about, Rory. I'm sure Jess is fine." Luke wrapped his arm around Rory's shoulder. "He just needed to clear his head."

"I'm not worried. I know exactly where he is. I just wish he didn't feel like he had to leave." She glared at Lorelai. "I'll be back a little later."

She parked her car at the high school, and took off on foot down the dirt road that led to the bridge.

"I found you." She sang, as she walked along the wooden planks of the bridge. The afternoon sun had been traded for the dim stars of twilight.

"So you did." He smiled, as he turned to face her. "What took you so long?"

"You had a pretty good head start, and you didn't exactly tell me you were leaving."

"It was too quiet."

"And it's not too quiet here?"

"No. It's different here. I can breathe. I can think. No one judges me here."

Rory sat down beside him, draping her legs over the side of the bridge. "I'm sorry about my mom."

"Don't be sorry. I'm not. I'd be concerned if Lorelai hadn't read me the riot act."

"That doesn't make it right."

"Maybe not, but she means well. She's just looking out for you."

"Are you okay? Where's your head right now?" She asked, noticing a hint of frustration in his tone.

"I've had time to think, too much time really. I have questions. Ones that I don't want to ask, and I really don't want to know the answers to."

"Ask." She told him, fearing that she wouldn't have the right answers.

"What's your plan, Rory? You always have a plan. What's the plan?"

"I don't know. I hadn't planned on any of this." Jess stood and paced to the opposite side of the bridge.

"But where do you want this to go? I don't just want to hang out and see where this thing goes. I love you, Rory. I'm not afraid to tell you that anymore, and I'm not running away. I want a future with you, but it can't be here. It will never be here." Rory stood and walked towards him. "You said it yourself. You've spent all your time in New York pining for Stars Hollow, but I'm not Stars Hollow."

"I don't...I don't know what you want me to say."

"I want you to tell me how you feel. How do I figure into your plans? Do I figure into them at all? Where are we on your pro/con list?"

She felt the sting of the tears that now brimmed her eyes. "I don't know. I don't want to fight with you."

"I'm not fighting you, Rory. I'm fighting for us." He wrapped an arm around her waist. "I want more for us, Rory. I want to be with you. I want you to go to New York, pack your things and come home with me. You can get your own apartment if you want, or you could stay with me."

"It's too soon." She cried, burying her head in his shoulder.

"It's not too soon. It's not. You're it for me. I love you, and it's okay if you can't say it back right now. I won't force you to say anything you're not ready to say, but promise me you'll think about it while you're in New York."

"I will." She took a deep breath in an attempt to keep the tears from falling. "Why does it feel like I'm losing you?"

"You're not losing me, but this is it. We're either going to make it or we're not. We're not going to have another chance." He took a step back, dropping the arm he had wrapped around her. "I'm going home. Luke and Cesar can run the diner. I'd just drive him crazy if I stayed. That's where I'll be when you decide."

He leaned in, brushed her cheek and kissed her goodbye. "Love you, Rory." He whispered. "Think about it."

They stood there for a moment in silence before he dropped her hands, turned and headed back towards town.

* * *

Rory sat back down on the cold wooden planks of the bridge and watched the reflection of the stars dance on the still water beneath.

Time had changed so much, but their bridge hadn't changed at all. It was still the place that Jess had chosen to bring her for their bid-a-basket lunch. The place where he found serenity in his otherwise chaotic life. It was the place where they both first admitted their feelings for one another, after her break-up with Dean. The place where their relationship had truly begun.

It somehow seemed appropriate that she start pondering their future in this place. She wasn't ready to face Luke and Lorelai. She knew that she wouldn't be able to explain what had just happened without free flowing tears.

 _"What had I expected when I showed up on his doorstep?"_ She asked herself, already knowing the answer. She had hoped that somehow he hadn't been able to shake the feelings that he had had for her, just the way that she hadn't been able to shake her feelings for him. She thought she had it all figured out, and she didn't understand the hestitation now. But she would do as he asked. She would tie up all the loose ends of her life in New York, but mostly she would think about her future and how Jess would fit into it.

 **Note cont'd: And I'm sorry. I had wanted to save this chapter untl I had written the next 2-3 chapters, so that I wouldn't keep you hanging. I just couldn't hold onto it. I'll get to working on Chapter 14 soon. Hopefully I'll have an update by the end of the week. Maybe sooner if I get some helpful feedback from my wonderful readers. (hint, hint).**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Luke pushed open the door of the diner, surprised to find Jess sitting atop one of the barstools, his head resting in his arms. Jess startled as the bells rang as Luke closed the door behind him.

"Good morning?" Luke said, placing his hand on Jess' shoulder.

"If you say so."

"You look like hell. How long have you been down here?"

"Not sure. I didn't want to miss when you came in."

"I'm honored." Luke walked behind the counter. "Coffee?"

"No, thanks. Actually, I was hoping you could give me a ride to the train station. The bus doesn't run this early."

"What's the rush?" Luke asked.

"No rush. You said you didn't need me to stay, so I'm going home."

Luke adjusted the strap holding the sling around his neck. "You're going home? Not to New York?" Jess nodded. "What happened?"

Jess chuckled softly. "When did you become so chatty in the morning?"

"What happened, Jess?" Luke pushed.

"Nothing. I'm going home, she's going home too."

Luke was overwhelmed with the urge to smack Jess upside the head. "You did it again."

"What? No! Can you just give me a ride?"

Luke grabbed his keys and headed towards the door. "Get your stuff."

* * *

Rory woke the next morning, feeling surprisingly rested for someone who had spent most of the night revisiting her past. She had always been the one to plan and prepare for all the big moments in her life. As a child, she had planned her entire future. She had planned on graduating from Harvard, and becoming an overseas correspondent. She had pro/con lists and flow charts mapping out her entire path.

Sitting on their bridge, just an hour after Jess had walked away, she came to realize how empty her plans were without him and that her decision was already made. It had been decided two days before, when Jess opened the door, smiled and invited her in.

She dressed quickly, said her goodbyes to Lorelai and drove off with a new plan. She didn't stop until she pulled the car behind Luke's truck.

"Hey, Rory!" Luke greeted her, as he refilled a coffee cup at the counter. "Can I get you some coffee?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you've seen Jess this morning. Is he upstairs?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "He didn't tell you, did he? No, of course he didn't tell you. He wouldn't be Jess if he had."

"Tell me what?" Rory's eyes widened.

"He's gone. I drove him to the train station this morning."

"Oh." She wanted to yell, and curse and scream, but instead she twisted her fingers together and glared down at the counter.

"I'm sorry, Rory. I didn't realize that..."

"No, it's okay. I knew he was leaving. I just..."

"Why don't you sit down? Let me fix you something to eat?"

"No, I'm okay. I have to get out of here." She walked around the counter, and awkwardly hugged Luke. "I'm glad you're okay. Take care of yourself, and my mom."

"I will. Drive safely. Call us when you get home."

She pulled open the door, turned and waved one last time and headed out to her car.

* * *

Jess tipped the cab driver and collected his bag from the trunk, before making his way up the front stairs. He was relieved to be home, but nervous with the way that he had left things.

He swung the door open, threw his bag down and made his way to the couch. No sooner had he closed his eyes, the phone rang.

"Hello?" He answered groggily.

"You haven't changed at all, have you?"

"Just in case you're wondering, I made it home okay."

"That's great! Did you bother to tell Rory that you were leaving? Don't answer that. I already know you didn't, and that's why she's out in her car crying in front of the diner right now."

Jess pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers, trying to block out the visual.

It had only taken about 5 minutes on the train for him to regret his decision to leave. He knew that she would never understand his reasons for leaving without saying goodbye, and he realized that he may never get a chance to explain.

"You have to make this right, Jess. If you don't, you'll have more than just Lorelai to answer to. You may be my nephew, but Rory is like a daughter to me and I won't let you hurt her again."

"I have to go." Jess ended the call and immediately dialed Rory's number.

"Damn it, Rory." He muttered, as he listened to Rory's cheerful voicemail greeting.

As disappointed as he was that she didn't answer, he was also relieved. He had no idea what he would say to her if she had answered, and he wasn't prepared to hear the hurt in her voice.

"Hey. Luke told me you stopped by the diner this morning. I'm sorry that I missed you, and I'm sorry that I...I'm just sorry. Call me?"

He spent the next hour pacing from room to room waiting for her call. As he paced, he focused on the stack of papers, her book, which had been all but forgotten as they rushed out to Stars Hollow.

Knowing that it could be hours before he heard back from her, he picked up the papers and thumbed past the dedication page and started reading.

 **A/N - Sorry it took so long to update. I had to sit on this one for a little while, because I wasn't exactly happy with having Jess leave like that. My problem was that once I wrote it, I couldn't imagine it any other way.**

 **Thank you to those of you who continue to read and review, as well as those of you who have recently started following the story. Stick with me. The angst will be over soon. I hope to update again soon.**


	15. Chapter 15

**This one is a bit short and a longtime coming, but I struggled a bit with where to start this chapter. In any case, I hope you like it.**

Chapter Fifteen

Rory felt stupid. She knew that the minute she walked out of the diner, Luke would call Jess. She had tried her best to hide her disappointment, but she never did have much of a poker face.

By the time she reached the car, she had been unable to control her emotions. Not so much because he had left. She knew that he was leaving, but she hadn't expected him to leave so soon. Not only that, if everything had went as she planned, she wouldn't be driving back to New York alone.

She had considered calling him at least a dozen times. She had even considered changing course altogether and heading back to Pennsylvania. Instead, she drove back to her tiny apartment, with plans to start sifting through the rubble that was her life in New York.

She had been home for a little over an hour when her text alert rang out.

 _Call me when you get home?_

She took a deep breath and dialed his number, hoping that she could control her emotions. He answered on the first ring. "That was fast."

"Traffic was light." She explained. "Are you home?"

"Yeah, sorry about the way that I left. I guess I've always had a problem saying goodbye to you." His voice hitched in his throat. "I'm sorry if I upset you."

"It's okay. I'm okay. Everything is fine. I just really wanted to see you this morning, that's all."

"So, we're really okay? If we're not, I think Luke might kill me."

"We're better than okay. I made my decision, Jess. I know what I want." She wasn't quite sure how to read the silence on the other end of the phone. "Did I lose you?"

"No," he answered quietly. "I'm still here."

"Well then, you must not have heard me, Jess. I've made my decision."

"That was quick. You sure you don't want more time to think things over?" He asked, skeptically. "I hope your decision wasn't formed based on how I left things this morning."

"I'm through over-thinking things, at least for today, and I made my decision last night. The way you left had nothing to do with it."

"Glad to hear it. So, don't keep me waiting. What did you decide?" He asked nervously.

"I wish that you were here. I hate to do this over the phone."

"You're only 97.3 miles away. I could be there in a couple hours."

"No, I just need to say this. I haven't been myself lately. I know that you've noticed it, but you've been too kind to say anything. I love you for that. I'm really not this wishy washy person that you've seen the past couple days. I'm not usually this weak."

"I never thought you were." Jess answered, defensively, unsure of where she was going. "Go on."

"You helped me get my life back on track once before, and that's one of the reasons that I came to see you. I hoped that being with you would help me to see things a little clearer. I didn't expect any of this. I guess I didn't know what to expect when I showed up at your door, but just seeing you, everything came rushing back."

"So, what are you saying, Rory?" Jess interrupted, impatiently.

"I'm saying that I love you, Jess. I guess I always have. I don't really know why it took me so long to recognize it."

"How much longer do you need to be in New York?"

"4-5 days..." She answered, glancing around at the boxes, books and papers that surrounded her in every direction. "Maybe more."

"Text me your address. I'll be there in 2 hours."

 **Note: I can't believe it took me this long to finally get this chapter written. It's been a good two weeks. (Maybe not, but it feels like it). In any case, my first thank you has to go to Milo Ventimiglia for signing on to the revival! I hope that all of the Jess/Rory fics got a little boost from that announcement.**

 **My heartfelt appreciation goes out to those who have recently reviewed and/or followed my story. The last few reviews have really helped to shape this chapter, which I've been having a little bit of a problem finishing. So thank you to SolemnlySwearToManageMischief, MusicalCatharsis, AriesZombieReBornBalor, and jordana60. I really appreciate your insight! I promise to try to focus on finishing this one up. I've already started planning my next fic. :)**


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